Process of cleaning and refining distillates of petroleum



A. J. PARIS, IR.

PROCESS OF CLEANING AND REFINING DISTILLATES 0F PETROLEUM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1917.

Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

8 lave M20 z $51 72% wtozmeu entree STTES V AUGUSTE JEAN PARIS, JRL, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

IPBOGESS O F CLEANING AND REFINING DISTILLATES 0F PETROLEUM.

Specification of'Letters Patent. Patented J 31 1922.

Application filed September 28, 1917. Serial No. 193,624.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTE JEAN Pains, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing in Bradford, county of McKean, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Process of Cleamng and Befining Distillates of Petroleum, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention is a process of treatmgthe distillates of petroleum, and, more partlcularly, those ranging from the lighter gasolines to illuminating oils, both inclusive, with a view to purifying them so completely as to render them ideal for use in internal combustion engines, or for other purposes exacting high quality distillates. v

As is well known, the so-called water white oils on the market are distillates of petroleum which have been purified by the commonly and extensively employed ac1d alkali process. This process, however, is tedious and comparatively expensive, and yields its best results only in the hands of experts. Furthermore, it is practically impossible to obtain distillates by this process entirely free from the chemical agents employed or the mechanically entrained water.

The products resulting from applicants process are purer and more uniform than the water white oils, and, moreover, the process is expeditious, efiicient and economical Speaking generally, the present process embodies, in its substantial entirety, the compression of the vapors of the distillates to be refined, in conjunction with a suitable gas, preferably in a compression cylinder, and in the presence of an oil purifying agent. The compressed mixture is then cooled or refrigerated for the purpose of condensing and separating out the resulting purified hydrocarbons.

The purifying agent which it is preferred to use is glycerine, and the gas employed is preferably an inert gas, such as nitrogen or hydrogen. The gas not only serves as a carrier of the vapors, but, also, assists in the vaporization of the petroleum in the compression cylinder. The invention, however, is not restricted to the employment of glycerine as the purifying agent, nor to the use of the specified gases.

The pressures employed in the compression cylinder may range from 25 pounds to 350 pounds, provided, in all cases, the tempera- That is to say, a main regulating valve is employed, the pressure .on one side of which may range from 25 to 350 pounds, i. e., the pressure in the compression cylinder, whereas the pressure on the other side of the regulating valve may range say from atmospheric to 50 pounds pressure. The condensation of the hydrocarbons from the mixture may be effected by either expanding the mixture or refrigeratin it externally, or by a combination of bot methods.

The distillate or gas, or both, may, if desired, be heated, cooled or refrigerated before compression and the purifying agent may be mixed with the distillate and gas before or during compression.

Features of the process, other than those adverted to, will appear from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. The drawing illustrates a general form of apparatus which I have successfully employed in practicing the invention, but the construction shown therein is to be regarded as typical, only, since various other forms of apparatus may also be employed.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the entire apparatus in elevation, and more or less diagrammatically, A is a compression cylinder, into which the oil distillate may be introduced through a branch pipe a, leading from a main oil pipe 1). Gas is admitted to cylinder A through pipe 0, and, if desired, instead of introducing the oil directly into the compressor, it may be fed to gas pipe 0, through pipe (1, and thus introduce the commingled gas and distillate together. In this event, it may be found desirable to insert an oil trap e in pipe line a in order to trap out any surplus oil.

Connected with gas pipe 0 is the gas main f, from which the system is initially supdrawn through pipe m. The

plied with gas, and from which additional sup lies may be taken from time to time to re enish that lost by leakage or otherwise. is a tank containing the purifying agent, such as glycerine, turkey-red oil, lubricating oil, or castor oil, said agent being fed to compression cylinder A through pipe g, in which is inserted a heater or cooler C, for heating orrefrigerating the purifying agent as desired.

An outlet pipe hfrom the compression cylinder leads, through a branch pipe i, to tank B cont'ainin the purifying agent, whereby the uriging agent contained in the compresse mixture may be tra ped out for reuse. An exit pipe j, for t e cornressed mixture ofgas and oil vapors, leads rom tank B to a condenser C of any well known type, and in which the bulk ofthe oil vapors are condensed. The condensate may be drawn off through pipe is, or may be allowed to flow, along with the gas, throu h pipe Z into trap D, from which it may e gas, after condensing-out therefrom the bulk of the purified oil vapors, passes out of trap D, through exit pipe a, into a second condenser E, which is preferably cooled to a temperature lower than that which obtains in condenser C', whereby the residuary oil vapors are condensed. They may be drawn from the condenser through pipe 0. It will be understood, of course, that additional condensers may be employed, should it be found necessary or desirable.

The gas, freed from oil vapors, escapes from condenser E, through pipe 12, through the main pressure regulating reducing valve 1), whence it returns, through an interchangeable heateror cooler F, into gas pipe 0, for reuse. Exit gas pipe p, as stated; is provided with the relief or poppet valve p for regulating the pressure within the system to the desired degree, the pressure on one side thereof is high, and on the other side considerably lower, whereby the oilfreed gas may be returned to the system for reuse.

Condensers C and E may be cooled by a current of water, or other refrigerant, which enters the system through pipe 9, passes through condenser E, thence through pipe '1' into condenser C, and flows oil therefrom through pipe 8.

It will be understood that the system is provided with any suitable number 'of pressure gages, as t, t and t thermometers u and u, gages, such as 'v,'safety or relief valves w w, and various manually operable valves, and other accessories incidental to carrying out processes wherein temperatures, pressures, etc, must be controlled.

Having fully described the apparatus, its mode of operation and the manner of carrying out applicants process therein will be readily understood,

but it may be-briefly described as follows.

The mixture of oil distillate or distillates,

i e and enters condenser C wherein sub stantially all the oil vapors are condensed. The condensate may be drawn off through pipe'lc, or be allowed to enter trap D, whence it may be drawn off through pipe m. The

.gas, carrying any of the oil vapors or purified disti late, not separated in condenser C or trap D, Epasses out through pipe n into condenser where said residuary vapors or distillate, if any is carried by the gas, is

separated. The gas, substantially free of oil vapor, is returned through pipe .p. through valve 12' whereby it is preferably reduced in pressure, for another cycle of operations.

I If glycerine or turkey-red oil are used as the purifying agent, they will not only remove tarry vapors, cracked parafiins and other impurities from. the distillates under treatment, but, possessing hygroscopic properties, they remove aqueous vapors also.

Castor oil and lubricating oil, however, arev not of a hygroscopic character, although they are suitable purifying agents in other respects. g

It will be understood, of course, that the process may be modified as to details and in the use of equivalents and equivalent operations, without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the foregoing general descri tion and the appended claims.

aving thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The process of cleaning and refining the distillates of petroleum which consists in charging a gas with such distillates by compressing the gas in conjunction with the vapors of said distillates and in the presence of an oil purifying agent, and subsequently separating the purified distillates from the gas and purifying agent.

2. The process of purifying petroleum distillates which consists in com ressing them in the presence of a gas an an oil purifying agent, whereby the gas becomes charged with oil vapors from said distillates, cooling the mixture to condense out the purified hydrocarbons, and thereafter recompurifying agent, whereby the gas becomes pressing the gas in the presence of further charged with oil vapors from. said distillates, 10 oil distillates and an 011 purifying agent separating the oilpurifying agent from the 'and repeating the specified cycle of operacompressed mixture, and thereafter separat- 5 tions. I ing the purified hydrocarbons from the gas. 3. The process of purifying petroleum In testimony whereof I have signed my distillates which conslsts in compressing name to this s ecification. them in the presence of a gas and an oil AUG STE JEAN PARIS, JR. 

